Blue Cheese Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts and Crispy Prosciutto

categories: Gluten Free, Healthy, Side Dishes

Roasted Brussels sprouts get a boost of flavor from pungent blue cheese and salty prosciutto. An easy and impressive side dish.

Demand for Brussels sprouts has increased dramatically over the past decade. Some people attribute this to restaurant chefs who, several years ago, began pairing roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon – a trend that led consumers to develop a newfound appreciation for this old-fashioned, and often reviled, winter vegetable. I admit I was one of those patrons who was once unenthusiastic about Brussels sprouts but declared myself a fan after tasting them with bacon at a restaurant. This recipe is a riff on the Brussels sprouts/bacon concept but I’ve amped up the flavor even further with the addition of blue cheese, and thrown in some toasted walnuts for good measure. Blue Cheese Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts and Crispy Prosciutto is a bold, delicious side dish that has “holiday dinner” written all over it! (more…)

16
Nov
2018

Make Ahead Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

categories: Gluten Free, Holidays, Side Dishes

A classic side dish that feeds a crowd and can be made entirely ahead of time. Great for holiday entertaining. JUMP TO RECIPE

Let’s face it, cooking and serving Thanksgiving dinner is an ordeal. Even if your guests pitch in by bringing food and helping with the cleanup, it’s still a ton of work. The only way to keep your sanity through it all is to stay organized and do as much as you can ahead of time, including some of the cooking. A lot of people think mashed potatoes, a classic Thanksgiving side dish, must be served immediately after you make them, but this recipe for Make Ahead Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes dispels that myth. This dish can be made entirely in advance, allowing you more time to spend with your guests, which is after all, what Thanksgiving is all about! (more…)

12
Nov
2018

Almond Oat Cups

categories: Breakfast, Desserts, Gluten Free, Healthy, Snacks

A cross between a cookie, a muffin, and a teacake. Free of gluten and eggs, and only take 10 minutes to bake. JUMP TO RECIPE

These gluten-free, egg-free Almond Oat Cups are a cross between a cookie and a muffin, and even though they’re perfect for teatime, because they’re dainty and not too sweet (each cup has only 4 grams of sugar), they’d also be fantastic for dessert. Just imagine some fresh berries or baked apples on top, along with a scoop of vanilla ice cream – yum! One of the best things about these healthy little treats is that they only take 10 minutes to bake – the prep time is pretty quick too, 15 minutes max. I use a standard 12-cup muffin pan to make “cups” but if you don’t own a muffin pan you can also use an 8 x 8-inch square pan and make “bars” instead. Simply line the pan with parchment paper and press the mixture evenly into the pan. Once it’s finished baking, let it cool completely and then cut it into bars or squares. (more…)

30
Oct
2018

Roasted Cauliflower with Feta, Tomatoes, Walnuts, and Capers

categories: Gluten Free, Healthy, Side Dishes, Vegetarian

Roasted Cauliflower with Feta, Tomatoes, Walnuts, and Capers is a vibrant side dish with a variety of flavors, colors, and textures. An awesome appetizer too. JUMP TO RECIPE

The rise of cauliflower as a celebrity vegetable has been nothing short of meteoric. Much of this growth can be attributed to cauliflower rice, a term used to describe cauliflower that has been chopped into tiny pieces that resemble grains of rice. So staggering is the growth of this vegetable in disguise that huge, multinational brands are now jumping in to capture market share. Green Giant (a division of General Mills) now harvests over 100,000 heads of cauliflower daily to meet the growing demand – a six-fold increase from just a few years ago! I’ve done my part as a food blogger by posting a variety of new-fangled cauliflower-based dishes (see the last paragraph for links to these recipes), but recently I had the urge to go back to using cauliflower in a more traditional way and came up with this recipe for Roasted Cauliflower with Feta, Tomatoes, Walnuts, and Capers. (more…)

22
Oct
2018

Fig Balsamic Farro with Spinach, Cranberries, and Almonds

categories: Appetizers, Healthy, Salads, Side Dishes, Vegan

A nutritious, delicious, Italian inspired dish the whole family will love. JUMP TO RECIPE

If you’re looking to incorporate more whole grains into your diet, here’s a great recipe to add to your rotation. Fig Balsamic Farro with Spinach, Cranberries, and Almonds is a flavor packed, Italian inspired dish the whole family will love. Whenever I make this I always double the recipe because we gobble it up so quickly. It’s great for lunch and as a side dish with dinner. The sweet, tart, fig balsamic flavor, along with cranberries and almonds, is an awesome complement to chicken and pork, but really, this dish goes well with just about anything. And, if you like tapas style dining, you can even serve it as a small plate appetizer, as pictured below. (more…)

15
Oct
2018

Honey Almond Shortbread

categories: Desserts, Gluten Free, Snacks

A tender, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread, sweetened naturally and gluten-free. JUMP TO RECIPE

Shortbread has been around for hundreds of years. According to this article on the history of shortbread, the earliest documented recipe appeared in a Scottish cookbook in the year 1736. Back then nobody was concerned about the difference between natural and refined sweeteners or whether the baked goods they were eating were gluten-free, but nowadays most of us want (or need) healthier, more allergy friendly food. Thankfully shortbread can be replicated to address these modern-day concerns without any sacrifice in taste. This recipe for Honey Almond Shortbread is every bit as rich, delicious, and buttery as traditional shortbread but it’s sweetened naturally (with honey), and made with almond flour instead of wheat flour, so it’s gluten-free too. (more…)

09
Oct
2018

Herbed Sesame Sunflower Seed Crackers

categories: Appetizers, Gluten Free, Healthy, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetarian

Vegan, gluten-free, dairy free crackers with a wholesome taste and tender texture. JUMP TO RECIPE

I put crackers into the same category as salad dressings. They’re not at all hard to make from scratch yet most people purchase these foods at the grocery store. This is probably even more true for crackers than salad dressings. I once mentioned to a friend that I make my own crackers and she said she never once considered making crackers – that it was so easy to buy good ones, why bother. And this is someone who loves to cook! Well, I’m here to tell you that making crackers couldn’t be simpler and you’ll be rewarded with ones that are healthier and taste so much better than store-bought crackers. These Herbed Sesame Sunflower Seed Crackers are nothing like any crackers you’ve ever purchased. They’re vegan, gluten-free, and dairy free and have a wholesome taste and tender texture. A few of these crackers dipped in Sun-Dried Tomato Red Lentil Hummus is the perfect, healthy snack to stave off those hunger pangs that sometimes strike before dinnertime. (more…)

01
Oct
2018

Paleo Apple Zucchini Spice Cake

categories: Desserts, Gluten Free, Healthy, Snacks

An incredibly moist and delicious, autumn inspired spice cake. JUMP TO RECIPE

If you’ve ever done any cooking with sour cream or yogurt, you know that when it’s called for in baking recipes the result is usually an incredibly moist and tender finished product. But there’s another food that’s just as effective at transforming what might otherwise be dry and crumbly baked goods into melt-in-your-mouth treats, and ironically, it’s a vegetable – zucchini! This Paleo Apple Zucchini Spice Cake is one of the moistest, most delicious cakes you’ll ever taste yet it contains no dairy, no oil, and no refined sugar. It’s the perfect, healthy dessert to mark to the beginning of fall. (more…)

28
Sep
2018

Sun Dried Tomato Red Lentil Hummus

categories: Appetizers, Gluten Free, Healthy, Sauces, Dressings, Condiments, Snacks, Vegan

A healthy appetizer made from red lentils and infused with savory sun dried tomatoes. Vegan, gluten-free, and dairy free. JUMP TO RECIPE

When it comes to nutritious, plant-based appetizers, hummus reigns supreme, and thankfully, for health-minded people who love to snack, there’s no shortage of tasty and creative ways to make it. Most recipes call for chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) as the main ingredient, but you can also make hummus with another pulse, red lentils, and it’s every bit as delicious as traditional hummus with the same smooth and creamy texture. This recipe for Sun Dried Tomato Red Lentil Hummus is proof! Make sure you have plenty of crackers and cut up vegetables on hand before you make this dip because you might not be able to stop eating it. I ran out of things to dip the first time I made it and resorted to using my fingers! It’s that good! (more…)

25
Sep
2018

Artichoke and Roasted Red Pepper Salad

categories: Appetizers, Gluten Free, Healthy, Salads, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian

A no-cook, easy antipasto salad you can make in under 10 minutes. Great for picnics, tailgates, and casual entertaining. JUMP TO RECIPE

If you enjoy shopping at upscale food markets that sell a wide variety of prepared foods then you’ll appreciate Artichoke and Roasted Red Pepper Salad because this is exactly the type of dish you’re likely to find at one these stores. In fact, I came up with this recipe after purchasing a small deli container of a similar type salad at my local specialty food store, for which I paid an insane amount of money. Since it contained only a few simple ingredients I decided to make my own version and I’m so glad I did. This salad is perfect for picnics, tailgates, and casual entertaining. It’s quick to throw together and can easily be scaled up to feed large crowds. (more…)